1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for effectively and efficiently removing contaminants from sulfur (or sulphur).
2. Description of the Related Art
Refineries and gas processing plants that produce sulfur also produce contaminated sulfur. The contaminated sulfur produced by the plants is becoming a worldwide environmental concern.
To deal with the contaminated sulfur many producers of sulfur employ regional waste management companies to remove contaminated sulfur from their sites. The waste management companies commonly remove and process the contaminated sulfur through waste management landfills. While effective, using waste management landfills has high costs, monetarily and to the local environment.
The waste management landfills, usually involve transporting the contaminated sulfur to the landfill, preparing a limestone sub-base, unloading the contaminated sulfur, layering the disposed sulfur with an impermeable lining, capping the sulfur with landfill, and then monitoring the landfill for acidic groundwater contamination. The responsibility for monitoring the landfill is an ongoing process, and is a great expense for all liable parties.
There are no known companies or organizations in the sulfur industry or waste processing industry at the time of filing the present application that provide an efficient method or system for removing contaminants from processed sulfur to a degree that allows the sulfur to reenter the supply chain instead of being disposed of in a landfill.